It was, admitted former first-round pick Greg Reynolds, a disappointment.

Given a chance to return to the big leagues and create a better impression than he did earlier in the season, Reynolds fell short of his hopes in the Rockies' 10-5 loss to the Padres at Coors Field.

Reynolds, the first-round draft choice in 2006 and a pleasant development in the second half of this season at Class AAA Colorado Springs, was given the start in place of struggling veteran Livan Hernandez, and was given an endorsement from manager Clint Hurdle before the game.

"He went down to get better, not get bitter," Hurdle said of Reynolds' response to being sent back to Colorado Springs earlier in the season.

But he wasn't better this time, though Hurdle indicated there likely be another chance for Reynolds at some point in the final 11 games of this season. Reynolds was charged with seven runs, including all six of the batters he faced without getting an out in the third inning.

"There comes a time when there are no excuses," said Reynolds. "It's a matter of getting the job done.

"I felt really good. I felt good about giving the team a chance to win. That's why this (game) was more frustrating."

The Padres got to him for two first-inning runs. Then came the third inning. Luis Rodriguez and Giles singled. Adrian Gonzalez drove an 0-1 pitch to straightaway center field, his 33rd home run of the season. Kevin Kouzmanoff tripled. Chase Headley doubled. Jason Hirsh, who spent the summer in Colorado Springs nursing a strained rotator cuff, was summoned to take over for Reynolds.

It was a lot like the Reynolds the Rockies saw during his earlier big league opportunity, when he was 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA and failed to get through the sixth inning in six of 12 starts. It wasn't the Reynolds who was only 1-2 in his final 10 starts at Colorado Springs but had a 2.94 earned-run average and allowed two or fewer runs in seven of the ninth starts.

"I try to stay away from expectations," said Hurdle. "We want to give them an opportunity to go out and pitch and see what they do... there is a large gap between (Class AAA) and the big leagues. These guys are aware of it."

And the Padres proved it. Reynolds retired six batters. He gave up hits to nine, including five extra-base hits. He threw 31 strikes out of 46 pitches, but as the results showed they weren't good strikes.

"You have to claw and scratch and battle," said Hurdle. "It is a challenge at this level. The hitters let you know what does and doesn't work."

The left-handed hitters, in particular, had a message for Reynolds. They were a combined 7-for-9 with three doubles and the Gonzalez home run, his 33rd of the season.

"It was the same old story for me," said Reynolds. "I keep the ball down and I get groundballs and outs. I start to creep up and my sinker flattens. It's not good."

PADRES 11, ROCKIES 5: Troy Tulowitzki hit the second grand slam of his career, at the expense of rookie Wade LeBlanc, who was still able to claim his first big league victory in his third start. Tulowitzki cut the Rockies' deficit to 9-4 in the fourth. The only other run the Rockies could manage was Chris Iannetta's leadoff home run off Mike Ekstrom in the eighth. The loss was the eighth in nine games for the Rockies, who are in fourth place in the NL West, one-half game back of San Francisco.